


Somewhere I Belong

by celestialCetacea



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 04:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17379845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialCetacea/pseuds/celestialCetacea
Summary: ~ Hiccup Love Story ~There is only one person on Berk who is more of an outcast than Hiccup: Nyx.  She is a stranger who appeared 15 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Unable to defend herself against the barrage of bullying, Hiccup uses her to gain popularity among the other teens.Events take place during the first How To Train Your Dragon movie.





	1. Chapter One

         I'd like to think that I'm special, that that's the reason that everyone dislikes me. In reality, I think it's because no one knows exactly how I got here. According to Gobber, the viking who was cursed with watching over me, I just arrived mixed in with the cargo on one of the ships returning from a scavenging mission. The only thing my "parents" left me with was a name: Nyxandra.

        Stoick, the Chief of the island of Berk, originally planned to sail me back to wherever I came from, but Gobber pointed out that whoever left me on their ship obviously did not want me. It's not hard to see why. Soon after my discovery, I was labeled as mute. I can't speak... to people that is, not that I really tried.

        Gobber tried to keep a careful watch over me growing up, but his job as weapons master got in the way of that. When I was old enough to walk, I started to explore the island. The forest would call to me, it felt like home. That was where I met her, Nightshade. She was as big as my hand and absolutely terrified. I was terrified too, when I met her. Dragons and vikings never mixed, but something clicked between us. A bond. I knew how she felt. She knew she didn't belong to this island, and neither did I. 

        I had reached out to her and tried to let her know that everything was going to be okay. Little did I know, she could understand what I was communicating, and it was a hell of a shock when she responded to me. I knew I had to keep it a secret, despite the fact that it could have possibly given me a chance to "speak" to the vikings. The truth is, I don't think they would have accepted me if they knew I could speak to dragons. It probably would have made them hate me more. After that encounter, I did not see her for months. I had assumed she just went back to wherever the dragons came from. It was probably for the best. If the other vikings knew about her, she, and most likely I, would have been killed.

        As I have learned, the people of Berk do not like things that don't fit into their standards of "normal". That is probably another reason that I am literally the most hated viking in possibly all of existence. The older I got, the more of an outcast I became. Gobber encouraged me to join the other kids when they went out to play throughout the village. I tried, I really did, but I guess the other kids just knew I did not fit in. They had chased me around until my little legs gave out and then beat me until I was bloody and bruised. I ran to the forest every time this happened, disappearing for hours at a time. I would clean myself up in the streams that ran down towards the sea, returning home with only small scratches. Gobber thought that I was just a clumsy kid and was proud that I was "getting along" with the other viking children. 

        I continued to try, for Gobber. He would never admit it, but I knew that I was a burden on him. It was after the fifth time of being beaten and retreating to the forest that I found her again: my little dragon friend. She was drinking from the stream when I stumbled through the brush. She was startled and scampered under a bush, watching me, and waiting until I left. It was while I was wiping the blood from my face and crying that she recognized me. She felt the bond and slowly emerged from her hiding spot, compelled to comfort me. She explained to me that she had not left the island, but was living in fear, stuck on Berk. It was then that I made a decision that would forever impact my life. My fragile, lonely heart decided to take her as a companion. Together, we wandered through the forest and found ourselves a small cave to call our own.

        I would visit Nightshade here daily, bringing her food, and slowing moving my possessions from Gobber's home into the cave. Every time I went out, I would extend my stay bit by bit, hoping that I would slowly be able to move out of the house. It took a couple months before Gobber started to notice that I wasn't spending much time in town. One of the viking kids came by his house, asking where I had gone, saying he hadn't seen me in a month. When I went to the house that night, Gobber was waiting for me at the door with a concerned look on his face. He asked me where I spent most of my days, since I obviously wasn't spending them in town with the other viking children. Anxiety coursed through my body, as the thought that I had been discovered laid siege over my brain. I was absolutely incapacitated with fear. Gobber sighed and shook his head. He told me he knew I wasn't happy here and that if wherever I went made me happy, then he wasn't going to stop me. I broke out of my trance, completely shocked that he had any idea of my life here. 

        I was overwhelmed with emotion, that for once, someone understood how I felt. I burst into silent tears, and hugged Gobber for the first time in the entire time that I lived with him. I knew he was taken aback, but he hugged me anyways. He whispered into my ear that I always had a place here with him, if I ever felt the need to come back. I mustered up as much of a voice as I could manage and whispered a thank you back to him. He stared at me in awe and shock, I knew how he felt. I couldn't believe that I spoke, either. 

        After the hug broke, I gathered the rest of my belongings and left for the forest, looking back to see Gobber watching me leave for the last time. A single tear dropped down from my eye as I walked down the moonlit cobblestone path towards the forest, leaving behind the life that felt so foreign to me.

    This was about two years ago.


	2. Chapter Two

       A violent thud echoes off the limestone walls of the cave, rousing me from my deep slumber. I crack open an eye, bright light flooding into my vision, nearly blinding me. My body groans as I lift myself into a sitting position, stretching out every limb. I relax with a sigh, and glance over to where the noise came from. Navy blue flashes through my line of sight, alerting me that my companion was most definitely awake. I scan the room for what could be amiss in our little abode. Notebooks of dragon sketches litter the floor to the right of the tiny cavern, and to the left, a ceramic bowl lays broken. A groan escapes my mouth, and I swing myself off of my makeshift cot. I shuffle over to the books and place them back onto the natural shelf lining the cave wall. Air whooshes past my ear as the force of a tiny dragon landing on my shoulder nearly throws me off balance.

        "Nightshade!" I exclaim, catching myself just before I fall into the wall. 

        The little Terrible Terror on my shoulder perks up, waving her tail from side to side. A mischievous glint flashes through her eyes.  I shake my head and chuckle. My dragon never fails to amuse me and bring light into my life. She purrs with contentment, and nuzzles into my neck. I scratch the space between her eyes, and make my way over to the broken bowl.

        ”What exactly is the meaning of this?” I inquire, raising an eyebrow.

        “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my dragon responds, feigning innocence.

        I raise my other eyebrow, making intense eye contact with her. Her eyes dart around the room in an attempt to avoid my unwavering stare. She fails. A mix between a sigh and a hiss slips out of her mouth.

        "Last night there was a huge crash that broke through the forest. It startled me out of my sleep, and I haven't been able to fall back asleep since," she finally admits. 

        "And what about the bowl and books?" I ask.

        "Well... I got tired of waiting for you to wake up. So, I made an obstacle course in the room, and I  _may_ have tripped while trying to grab the bowl and flew into the books," she says, giving a nonchalant shrug. 

        I give a sigh and pinch the space between my eyes. I look back at my dragon and decide against reprimanding her over the matter. I pick up the remains of the bowl and place them on the wooden table to the left of the book shelf. Nightshade leaps off of my shoulder and plops down onto my cot, curling into a ball. I pull out my chair from under the table and sit down. Staring off into space, I ponder what we should do for the day. Finally, an idea pops into my head. 

        "Hey Nightshade, want to go explore what the crash in the forest was?" I suggest.

        She shoots up from her place on my cot and flies around the room. I giggle at her excitement for the notion. 

        "I'll take that as a yes, then," I manage to get out between my giggles.

        She settles down onto the wooden table next to the broken bowl, waiting for me to get ready for our adventure into the forest. I walk over to the book shelf and grab my sketch book off of it, flipping through the pages as I shuffle over to my cot. I reach under my cot and pull out my leather bag, placing my sketch book into it. I walk over to the entrance of the cave and take my leather armor off the stalagmites lining the floor. I lace myself up and beckon Nightshade over. She leaps off of the table and soars onto my shoulder. Swinging my bag onto my other shoulder, I stride out of the cave and past the treeline, into the forest.

        Shortly after we pass the treeline, an anguished howl rings throughout the forest. I make eye contact with Nightshade; we both knew what made that sound: a downed dragon. I decide to follow the sound, and hope to Thor that I'm not too late to save this dragon. 

        With Nightshade by my side, we wander the forest for hours. After that initial howl, we didn't hear anything else. I became sick with worry. I know what the vikings do to dragons they manage to down, and I want to prevent that from happening to as many dragons as possible. I was beginning to feel helpless. There wasn't a trace of this dragon anywhere I had searched. I let out a sigh and lower myself onto the nearest boulder. Nightshade curls up beneath me, laying her head on my feet. I look up at the sky, hoping for any sign that this dragon is still alive and I'm not too late. 

        Slowly glancing down from the sky, I notice that the trunk of the tree in front of me was split down the center. To the left of that tree was a trail of broken foliage leading down the hill. A smile breaks onto  my face. I practically fly off of the boulder and race down the hill, completely startling Nightshade. She chases after me, narrowly avoiding the branches that continuously pelt me as I stumble down the hill.

        I skid to a halt at the bottom of the hill just before the clearing, all of my senses on alert. Someone else was here.  I quickly grab Nightshade, preventing her from tumbling out of the brush and into the clearing. I shush her and watch from behind a tree lining the clearing. I see a young viking of a small stature, possibly my age, or younger, wielding a knife and monologuing to a dragon caught in a rope trap. I let out a small gasp as I realize what kind of dragon he is speaking to. _A Night Fury_. I have never seen one in my entire existence on Berk. 

        The viking kid cuts off the ropes, and as he does so, the Night Fury springs free and traps the viking between its claws. The dragon screams into the kid's face and heads straight for Nightshade and I. I crouch down and hold Nightshade to my chest as the dragon bounds forward and makes an attempt to fly. With the brush broken in front of us, I could see clearly the viking kid, and he could see us. I make direct eye contact with him, and I realize who he is.  _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III._

        "Oh shit," I whisper.

        Frozen where I stand, I see the recognition flash through Hiccup's eyes. Panic crashes through my veins like a flash flood, wild and dangerous. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to turn and run; to make my escape into the forest. My legs, however, refuse to move an inch. I feel Nightshade leap out of my arms and dash into the forest, leaving me alone in the clearing with him. 

        "You!" He shouts at me from across the clearing. 

        My throat clamps in on itself, constricting my vocal cords and rendering me mute once more. I feel my muscles tightening, like a giant is squeezing me in their large, meaty hand. I watch as Hiccup crosses the clearing to where I stand; my eyes the only muscles in my control. 

        "Did you see any of that?" Hiccup inquires, gesturing to the clearing behind him. 

        I barely manage a nod in response. My body violently quivers, knees almost knocking into each other. I must look comical to Hiccup, but he doesn't crack a smile. 

        "You better not tell anyone about this. If anyone found out I'd be disowned," he frantically rants. 

        Deer-eyed, I just stare at Hiccup. His eyes are wild with fear and panic, and his hands are moving with lightening speed. He pauses his movements and stares back at me, anticipating my response. I open my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing squeaks out of me. 

        "Wait... You're that mute girl, aren't you? The one that lived with Gobber. I remember you," he says, gesturing to me.         "This is perfect, you can't say anything to anybody about any of this. Even if you managed to squeak anything out, no one would believe you. Haha! This is amazing!"

        I sit there, now fuming at the fact that he was taking advantage of my disability. My hands ball up into fists, and without a second thought my knuckles collide with his cheekbones. He stumbles to a fall, taken aback that I had just hit him. We make eye contact, his eyes swirling with rage and confusion.

        "You fucking bitch. Do you know who I am? I am the next fucking chief of Berk, you cannot just hit me. There will be consequences for this!" He spats at me. 

        I can feel the fury radiating off of him. A chill runs down my spine as I realize what I had truly done; all of the anger that consumed me floods out of my body as fear rolls and crashes against my chest, like the waves on the edge of Berk. I slowly back away from him, each shaky footstep crunching in the fallen leaves. 

        "Oh no, you can't get away that easily," he chuckles, taking a step towards me. 

        Blue flashes in the corner of my eye and suddenly Hiccup is being attacked by my Terrible Terror. I take the opportunity and make a break for it. As my legs pump faster than they had in years, memories start to flood my brain. Images of the viking kids chasing me around the town until my legs gave out fills my vision, and I trip over a log. I tumble down a hill, my body bouncing off every rock and branch in my path. I come to a crashing halt, every fiber of my being groaning in pain. 

        I lay there for a few minutes, tears flowing in tiny rivers down the cliffs of my face; from pain or memories, I'm not sure. I stare up into the crystal blue fractured by the dark branches of the ancient trees. I hear the leaves crunching under foot and I know I'm once again in danger. I try to get up, but my body collapses underneath me. From behind me a chuckle resounds. 

        "You fool, you can't run from me. That little stunt your dragon pulled almost cost it its life. If you want your little "pet" to live, you're gonna have to do something for me," he says, circling me like a predator. 

        I had always known Hiccup to be the kinder of the viking children, but in this moment, I had never been treated in a more cruel fashion. He's threatening the life of my best friend, the only creature that I care about in the entire world. I drop my head in defeat, knowing there is no way out of it. 

        "Good, you understand. I'm going to make you a proposition: if you come with me, I'll make sure your, and by extension my secret will be safe. Understand?" He explains. 

         I nod my head, knowing that there's no way out of this. At least Nightshade will be safe, I hope she doesn't think I chose to leave her. I attempt at standing up again, this time able to wobble to my feet. I take a couple steps forward and pick up my bag that flew off of me during the fall. Hiccup snatches my wrist and drags me through the forest, each step feeling like an eternity as I walk further away from my home. 

        "Don't worry, you'll be getting the treatment a bitch like you deserves," Hiccup mumbles to me.

        Dread fills me at the thought of what my future holds, and what I have gotten myself into. My heart aches, not knowing if this will be the last time I see Nightshade. A few tears slip past the corners of my swollen eyes. Tiny cobblestone houses start to come into view as the trees begin to thin out. My body tenses up, but my legs keep walking forward and into a life I never thought I would never live again.


End file.
